When Apple released the iPod for the very first time in October of 2001, a whole new era of portable mp3 players was unleashed. This first generation iPod boasted of a 5 GB storage space that was capable of storing up to 1,000 songs. Its functionality was packed into such a small body which was an innovation during that time. From its humble mechanical scroll wheel with an OK button at its center and four auxiliary buttons around it, the iPod has evolved through the years and has gotten leaner and more powerful.
Last September 5, 2007, Apple released its new line of iPods at “The Beat Goes On”, a special media event held in San Francisco. Together with the new iPod shuffle colors, the new iPod nano (which can now play video), and the iPod touch, Apple CEO Steve Jobs was pleased to release the 6th generation iPod and introduce it under a new name: the iPod Classic.
Compared to its predecessors, the iPod Classic has a thinner body. Its front face is now made of aluminum, giving it a full metal look that contrasts with the white plastic face found in previous iPod generations. One of its exciting new features is its new interface. The iPod Classic displays a split screen with menu items shown on the left side and an image preview of the current highlighted selection on the right side of the screen.
Similar to the iPod nano and iPod touch, the iPod Classic has also been infused with Cover Flow. Cover Flow, which was first released in version 7 of iTunes and in the iPhone, allows you to rummage through your iPod’s music library via floating album artwork. With one continuous sweep of a finger you can now span through your entire library using Cover Flow which definitely adds a 3D feel to the overall interface.
The iPod Classic can store music, photos, e-books, video, and can now store games. Examples of some games which users can now enjoy on their new iPod include: Vortex, Sudoku, Pac-Man, Bejeweled, Mini Golf, The Sims Bowling, Texas Hold ‘em, Zuma, Cubis 2, Royal Solitaire, iQuiz, Tetris, and Lost. Growing lists of new games are currently being developed and all of these are available online via the iTunes store.
The iPod Classic comes in an 80 GB model that sells for $249 and can store up to 20,000 songs as well as a whooping 160 GB model that sells for $349 and can store up to 40,000 songs. This huge storage space can also be used to store data. Users can in fact use their iPod as a hard drive and can backup the contents of an entire computer in the palm of their hand. A very significant enhancement has also been done to its battery life. In fact, the iPod Classic now provides users with up to 40 hours of music playback and 7 hours of video playback, the longest battery life for an iPod so far!